I used to leak sometimes at night too (I don't like using tampons for that long!) and it wasn't pretty. But I've found that when I sleep on my stomach I never leak at all. Do that and it'll also make your cramps feel a bit better too.

Hmm I tend to sleep long hours and my flows are heavy so I use night time pads but I toss about in my sleep a lot. Unfortunately, night time pads don't stay in place well so I have to back up with loads of folded layers of toilet roll. Its a pain and uncomfortable but once you fall asleep you forget it's there. I rely on toilet roll a lot more because somehow it all manages to leak through the pad when I use it on its own even when I'm awake and changing it often enough. But sometimes I cant be bothered to go to the toilets too often especially when I'm busy with work its really unfortunate.The amount of times I've wanted to rip my out after discovering a leak is not even funny o_O

(Original post by Jcon1)
I will post, destroying my dignity,to spare all men lurking this thread, wondering wtf is TSS? (i can't be bothered to google..).
dont be harsh on me

TSS is toxic shock syndrome. If a woman uses tampons then she runs a VERY tiny risk of getting it and it can be fatal. I don't actually know exactly what the symptoms of it are but I'm not googling for you lol

(Original post by Sakura-Chan)
I use night time pads and a super plus extra tampon (yes, really) then go to bed really late and get up really early I have the worst periods ever, but fortunately they don't last very long.

Arghh.. that must be horrible! I've seen how big those things are! That must be like giving blood! lol.. Have you tried going on the pill?

(Original post by daisydaffodil)
I use a nightime pad plus two lying horizontally (one at front and one at back) if very heavy, plus two pair of knickers and usually a towel if sleeping somewhere other than home.

Are you kidding? That sounds like such a stress, I literally can sleep with a tampon and that's all cool with me. I'll count myself lucky now! Pads freak me out, I don't want to see anything ever come out of me hahahah let alone sit in it. eurgh gross

Don't worry about using tampons. They only increase the risk of TSS by a very small percentage, and only if you're not being hygienic (i.e. not changing them often enough.

I personally used to have such heavy flows that I had to use the maximum absorption tampons AND the night pads at the same time. I had to change them every hour or so. Needless to say, I became severely anemic as a result and I ended up needing to take the pill to treat it. If your periods are REALLY bad, the pill is a miracle cure.

(Original post by Anonymous)
I feel a bit exposed and gross posting this but I have really heavy flow, and sometimes I leak.

Obviously I can't use tampons because of the risk of TSS.

And I don't really want to wake up every half an hour to change.

Any advice ???

Thank you

As others have says the risk of TSS is very low so that's one option. Do you use nighttime pads? I do and find that they are a lot better. I use always ultra night with wings but I believe there is a maxi version too if you'd feel better with that. I also wear shorts over my pants and sleep in certain positions, either on my front or back. I'm also on the pill as someone suggested above, this also helps- since going on it I only bleed on the first 2 nights, on the others it dies down at night which is great as it used to be the same as the daytime for me.

You could also lay towels down under the bed sheet to make stains easier to clean. At the end of the day most women leak in bed every now and then, its certainly nothing to be ashamed of, though I understand how you don't like it as I'm the same... I'm always over cautious as I hate the idea of getting blood anywhere!

(Original post by xcesciee)
Are you kidding? That sounds like such a stress, I literally can sleep with a tampon and that's all cool with me. I'll count myself lucky now! Pads freak me out, I don't want to see anything ever come out of me hahahah let alone sit in it. eurgh gross

You aren't sitting in it though - the fluids are absorbed and don't leak or anything like that, unless you are bleeding very heavily and even then you'd hopefully remember to change enough.

That and I am sure you don't use tampons to soak up everyday discharges or wetness - what's the difference with menstruation?

It's not as if menstrual fluids are disgusting, they come from your own body and unless you are very ill, aren't bacteria or disease ridden and will do no harm to you - as opposed to inserting a dry piece of bleached and most likely chemically treated fabric into your vagina, where it can become a breeding ground for life threatening bacteria as well as drying the vagina out, introducing it to abnormal chemicals and fabrics, and potentially causing problems with the vaginal walls (e.g. dryness causing cuts, friction issues, cotton fibers breaking off, aplicators cutting the skin etc). I'd far rather use pads or a soft cup - much nicer to the skin.

That and tampons hurt like hell, for me it feels as though I am inserting a knife and stabbing myself, so no plans to use them anytime soon!

(Original post by fishfan01)
MOONCUP ALL THE WAY! I know most of my friends were grossed out by this, but personally I just keep on finding it has more and more benefits.

So long as it's in properly, the only time it will leak is if it's overflowed, and I find that because you're lying down, not so much actually comes out in the night, it just has a bit of a rush in the morning, so that's no problem. Plus, you can keep it in as long as you like because it doesn't have any issues such as TSS associated with it (however small the risk, I always get rather paranoid about this stuff). I personally like to wear a pad with it at night just in case of any leakage issues (I really hate getting blood on my mattress), but you can wear a thin one, and most of the time it will remain spotless, even if you're really heavy. Plus, if you don't like wearing tampons, then event hough this appears to be much bigger, it's so much more comfy because it's flexible and, so long as you cut off enough of the stick bit to help you pull it out and you put it in porperly (which will take a couple of goes - my first time, I couldn't even get it in), you can''t feel it at all once it's in. I recommend you go mooncup anyway.

Plus, think of the money you'd save! I probs wouldn't keep mine THAT long, but apparently you can keep it up to 10 years! I've had mine nearly a year and I'd never go back. I had to once because I went away without it and I was really disgruntled.

And what you'll do for the environment! Throwing away pads and tampons every month by pretty much every woman in the country adds up to rather a lot of pretty gross landfill which takes absolutely ages to go away. AND I've found that a bonus is that it has actually lessened my period pains to a (small) extent. Though, I'm not sure whether or not this affects everybody.

I've looked into this because my flow is really heavy and I have to wear night pads in the day and sometimes still leak but Ive heard to fit a mooncup you have to have broken your hymen is this true?? Also are they massively big coz I'm quite petite??

(Original post by Anonymous)
I've looked into this because my flow is really heavy and I have to wear night pads in the day and sometimes still leak but Ive heard to fit a mooncup you have to have broken your hymen is this true?? Also are they massively big coz I'm quite petite??

Ahh, that sucks

Uhm, well, I don't actually know - I have no idea if my hymen has been broken (virgin and never felt it break) but I used tampons for a couple of years before I got my mooncup so it may have already been broken. So, I'm afraid that I can't really help you there, though I think I might have heard the same thing - perhaps yours has broken without you realising it, though? Having an intact hymen isn't as important or common as it used to be because of stuff we do nowadays - horseriding without using a sidesaddle, gymnastics, using tampons etc. However, I think maybe now I do recall when I was first looking at it that a couple of people reported that it broke their hymen when they first used it. I don't know - you can make a call where this is concerned about your personal views on it

They do look rather large when you're not used to it, but you fold them up to get them in (try not to let it unping when you're putting it in though - painful.) and to be honest, you're created with the idea that one day you'll be able to push a baby through there and where you put it is very squishy; there's plenty of room The first time I tried to put it in, I couldn't, but I just think I wasn't doing it properly, and I don't even think about it now . They say that you can put it in even when you're not on your period (if you know it'll be starting) but I think I'd find that uncomfortable - but if it's lubricated (ie. blood) then it's fine, and I heard that quite a few women spit on it to help it slide in. Sounds gross, but tbh periods are pretty gross full stop.

I'm sorry I don't have any more detailed information, but I'm pretty sure there's a lot on the internet in various chatrooms and there's also quite a lot on the website itself (plus there are loads of different makes - you can even get sparkly ones :/ - I think that's odd but some people are weird.) so if you search around then you should find plenty of experiences with them I hope I've helped a bit though, and if you have any more questions, I'll try to answer them as well as I can, but I really am no expert :L